Donald R. Laub | |
---|---|
Born |
Milwaukee, WI |
January 1, 1935
Education | MD |
Alma mater | Marquette University |
Occupation | Surgeon |
Website | Many People, Many Passports |
Donald R. Laub Sr. (born January 1, 1935) is a retired plastic surgeon who led multidisciplinary teams on reconstructive surgery missions to developing countries.
Laub completed his undergraduate studies at Marquette University and earned an MD from the Marquette University School of Medicine in 1960. After completing his internship at the Yale School of Medicine, he moved westward to Stanford University, where he assumed an assistant professorship and co-founded a 6-year integrated surgical residency program as well as the Stanford Primacy Care Associate Program. He then served as chief of Plastic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine from 1968 to 1980, before entering private practice.
In 1965, 13-year-old Antonio Victoria arrived at Stanford University Medical Center from his home in Mexicali, Mexico, where his cleft lip and palate had made him a social pariah. He had no education and no chance for social advancement, but was otherwise normal. Another surgeon was able to restore the boy’s appearance with a mere three operations, allowing him to continue in life as a happy, productive member of society where once he had been shunned. Victoria inspired Laub to transition from Physician Researcher to Physician Educator.
In 1969, Laub founded Interplast (now called ReSurge International) with the mission of transforming lives through the art of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He became the first academic to develop and lead multidisciplinary teams on humanitarian surgical trips to developing countries. Since its inception, Interplast has provided tens of thousands of life-altering operations gratis, established thousands of long-term international professional relationships, and turned on countless of medical professionals to the “helping others” way of life. The original spirit of Interplast has given rise to dozens of independent humanitarian medical organizations worldwide, including Interplast Germany, Interplast Turkey, Interplast Holland, Interplast Italy, Interplast Florida, Interplast West Virginia, Interplast Australia, OneHeart World-Wide, and IVUMed. In their unique ways, they all carry Laub’s vision of healing the world through plastic surgery.